The elders of Syria’s Kaukab village, Hama province, and the Syrian authorities have signed an agreement on the return of civilians after the community’s liberation from terrorist groups

KAUKAB /Syria/, May 4. /TASS/. The elders of Syria’s Kaukab village, Hama province, and the Syrian authorities as represented by the reconciliation center have put their signatures to an agreement on the return of civilians after the community’s liberation from terrorist groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra (outlawed in Russia). After that a group of Jabhat al-Nusra militants surrendered their weapons to local authorities.

"We have signed an agreement on the return of civilians to this community. The people wish to work their land and live peaceful lives. As a result of prolonged, scrupulous work we have approached a point where the people can get back to their homes," the spokesman for Russia’s reconciliation center in Hama province, Colonel Sergey Ivanov told the media.

After the agreement was signed 7.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid delivered from the Russian center for the reconciliation of warring factions at Hmeimim was distributed among local civilians. Each set of foods consists of food (sugar, rice, spaghetti and canned meat and fish, sweets and cookies), drinking water and medicines. Fifteen Jabhat al-Nusra militants agreed to lay down weapons and hand them in to the local authorities.

Kaukab for a long time remained on the engagement line, Ivanov said. There were both militants and government troops. The front line separated it.

"The militants have now been driven way back and the population has returned home," Ivanov said. Of late, the cases of militants ending resistance to Syrian government troops were more frequent. "You’ve been witnesses to one of such events," Ivanov told group of Russian and foreign reporters.